Road-grading machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No ModeL) W. R. FERGUSON.

ROAD GRADING MACHINE.

No. 819,474. Patented June 9, 1885.

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(No Model.) 7 2 sheets -sheet 2. W. R. FERGUSON.

ROAD GRADING MACHINE.

No. 319,474. Patented June 9, 1885.

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WILLIAM ROSE FERGUSON, OF MARSEILLES, ILLINOIS.

ROAD-GRADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,47l, dated June 9, 188.5. d Application filed February 28, 1885. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM It. FERGU- SON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Marseilles, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Grading Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is aperspective view of the grader and its forward truck, showing them as they would appear when in service. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the grader detached from its forward truck and having the operators seat removed and aportion of one of its perforated segments broken away. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the forward truck separated from the grader. Fig. 4 is a plan View of one of the axles of the grader. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the hand-levers and axles of the grader, showing the manner of their connection; also showing the axle-box and a portion of one of the sills and of a broken-away portion of one of the perforated segments of the grader. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the axle-boxes of the grader. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the two sills of the grader on line 4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrow 2; and Fig. 8 is a similar view on line 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrow 1.

This invention relates to certain improvements in road-graders, which improvements are fully set forthin the following specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings, S S represent a pair of nearly parallel sills forming the main frame of the grader, and which are mounted at their rear ends on the two crank-axles c 0, upon which are placed the traveling wheels D D. The central part of said sills rest on a diagonally-attached scraper-board, A, attached thereto by means of the lag-screws G. Said sills are connected by means of the seatboard E and beam S at and near their rear end, and by the boxes H and R and plate R at their front ends.

To the outer ends of cross beam S are firmly bolted the rear ends of the side beams, S S. These side beams, S S, are connected by means of the two cross brace-bars B B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which form diagonal braces across the top of the grader-frame, and are for preventing oblique strain on the grader. The scraper-board A is bolted to the under side of the machine by means of the lag-screws G in an oblique or diagonal manner, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is braced at its rear side by means of the braces a. Its lower edge is provided with a cuttingshear, as shown in said Fig. 1. A colter, d, is attached to one of the side beams S in advance of the scraper-board A, and is for the purpose of cutting the earth in advance of the scraper-board, so that the earth may be more easily gathered from that side and separated from the adjoining earth. The rear end of the grader is elevated and lowered by means of rotating the crank-axles c and 0 through the medium of levers P and 1?, which are respectively rigidly secured to said axles near their cranked ends, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. The axles c and c are separate, and operate independently from each other, and are attached to the under side of the sills S S by means of the boxes Z, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, one of said boxes being shown in perspective in Fig. 6.

The purpose of rigidly attaching the levers P and P to the axles c c is to provide means for partially rotating said axles, so their crank ends, to which the traveling wheels D D are attached, may be adjusted to either raise or lower that end ofthe sills S S, or either ofthem, independently from the other. Each of the hand-levers P P are provided with the handlatches I, to engage with the perforations in the segments m m, which attach to the upper side of the cross-beam S and to the seat-board E, so as to set said lever and hold said crankaxles at any desired angle, and elevate or lower that end of the grader as much or little as may be necessary. Both said axles maybe simultaneously rotated, or they may be rotated independently of each other in either direction, so as to elevate one corner more than the other, if desired. The traveling wheels D D on said axles have sharpened peripheries concaved on either side, to render them self-cleaning, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and so they may enter the earth and prevent the scraper board from forcing the grader around sidewise. The rear end of the grader is provided with a seat, as shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose of permitting the operator to ride and operate the grader. The front end of the grader is provided with a reach, T, for attaching it to the axle F of the forward truck at t, as shown in Fig. 3, or to the king-bolt of the forwardaxle of an ordinary wagon. The rear end of said reach is attached to the front end of the sills S S, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7, by hinging it in box II by means of the pin a, (see Fig. 7,) and adjustably secured within box R, and between said box and the lower plate, R by the crank-screw R engaging said reach at its upper side. To the front end of said reach is securely attached a plate, T, having an eye at its extreme end and attached to the axle of the forward truck by hinging said plate T between a pair of ear-lugs, t, attached to said axle F by means of suitable bolts, as shown in Fig. 3. The axle F, being supported by the traveling wheels W W, will hold reach T at a suitable distance from the ground, so that by turning the crank-screw It the forward end of the grader may be either elevated or lowered to adjust the scraper-board A to its proper angle, as the said screw will when turned down bear against said reach, and thus raise that end of the grader, or lower it when said screw is turned backward.

, Tlie tongue J, to which a team is attached to draw the grader, is attached to axle F bya pair of braces, g g, hinged to and securely attached to said axle,as shown in Fig. 8, the bar '9 serving to brace the braces g g. A rolling colter may beused in place of the rigid colter d where the earth is free from hard substances.

When it is desired to travel upon a road, or from place to place, the hand-levers l? 1? are thrown backward and secured in such position, in the manner heretofore described, which will rotate the axles c 0, so their cranks will be turned downward to stand at about right angles to the sills S S, and thus hold the grader high enough so its scraper-shear will not engage the earth. The forward end may be also raised by means of the screw 1%, if it is desired to elevate the scraper still higher from the ground. By this construction and arrangement of parts it becomes possible to go upon the roadwhen in a worn and rutty condition, and gather earth fromits sides,and distribute it upon the central part or drive to fill up ruts and smooth off the uneven places by simply working the grader on either side along its length, permitting the scraper-shear to gather as much or little earth as the condition of the road at different places may require by changing the position of the scraper-shear by means of the hand-levers to adapt its out to the contour of the roadway.

The scraper-shear may be set so that only one end will engage with the earth, and thus permit the earth to escape under it toward the elevated end, so as to distribute it where it may be needed most; or entirely new roads may be made and evenly graded to any desired grade by commencing near the center and working out toward either side of the road, each time permitting the colter to cut and the scraper-shear to gather and convey toward the center of the road a new portion of the side earth until the road is wide enough and proper drainage formed along its sides. Thus a road is easily and readily made, or an old one repaired,in an easy and effectual manner, the operator being permitted to be seated on the machine to operate the levers,to adjust it, and to manage the team, and entirely obviating the necessity of first having to plow or loosen up the earth before using the grader.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

1. Ina road-grader, the means, substantially as shown and described, for supporting and adjusting the rear end of the frame to adjust the scraper-blade, consisting of apair of crankaxles, c a, boxed to the sills S S of the grader, a pair of traveling wheels, D D, having cutting peripheries and placed on the crank ends of said axles, a pair of hand-levers, P P, rigidly secured to said axles, and each having alatchbolt, P arranged to engage with the perforated segments m m, in combination with the sills S S, scraper-board A, and a forward supporting-truck, and the means, substantially as shown and described, for adjusting the forward end of the grader-frame to adjust the scraper-shear, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In the road-grader described, the combination of the boxes H and R, plate R reach T, having the eye-plate T, crank-screw R, and pin a, with the sills S S, scraper-board A, and forward supporting-truck, all arranged and constructed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In the road-grader described, the frame, constructed and arranged substantially as shown and described, consisting of the sills S S, cross-beam S, side beams, S S, and cross brace-beams B B, in combination with the scraper A, reach T, adj ustably secured to the forward ends of said sills, forward supportingtruck, and the means, substantially as shown and described, for supporting and adjusting the rear end of said frame to adjust said scraper, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the body-frame of a road grader and scraper, the scraper-board A, having a cutting-shear, colter d, crankaxles c 0, wheels D D, having cutting-peripheries, hand-levers P P, each having a latchbolt, P", a perforated segments m m, tongue T, adjustably secured to the body-frame, and a forward supporting-truck, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. I11 the road-grader described, the combination of the crank-axles c 0, wheels D D, having cutting-peripheries, hand-levers P P, rigidly secured to said axles, and having the latch-bolts I, perforated segments m m, sills S S, and scraper A, as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM nosn rnncusoiv.

Witnesses:

R. P. DEWEY, MILTON -PIESTER. 

